Breast-collar for harness



(No Model.) f

H. PRICE & Q. P. WATSON. BREAST COLLAR FOR HARNESS.

No. 535,171. Patented Mar. 5,1895.

WITNESSES: INVENTORS zz gfwwm ATTORNEYS I iJNITED STATES PATENT Priest HENRY PRICE AND QUINTUS P. WATSON, OF KENTON, OHIO.

BREAST-COLLAR FOR HARNESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,171, dated March 5, 18195.

Application filed June 23, 1 894. Serial No. 515,541- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY PRICE and QUINTUS P. WATSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Kenton, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Breast- Oollars for Harness, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the improvement of breast collars for harness and the objects of our invention are to provide a metallic breast collar of superior construction and arrangement; to so construct the same as to obviate any tendency toward choking or narrowing the width of the breast and shoulders of a horse; to so shape and arrange the parts of said collar as to prevent interference with proper respiration; to admit of thecollar being adapted for use on horses of different sizes and build; to prevent said collar from binding against or interfering with the muscles and parts employed in locomotion and to produce other improvements in details of construction which will be more fully pointed out hereinafter. These objects we accomplish in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a partial view of a horseshowing our improved collar thereon. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the collar. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the forward portion of the collar with the casing or covering removed therefrom. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on line 00 a; of Fig. 2 and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the hinge connection between the neck or throat portion of the collar and the shoulder portion.

Similarletters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the construction of our improved collar, we employ for the shoulder portion thereof two metallic strips a, the latter being curved inwardly and thence forwardly in their forward portions to form,as shown, the desired shoulder bulge I). From these shoulder portions the parallel rear portions b of the metallic sections a extend rearwardly and slightly downward. As indicated at c in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the inturnecl neck side portions b or forward end portions of the strips a are inclined upwardly. To the forward ends of these strips a is hinged as indicated at d a preferably rounded throat piece d, the latter serving to form a jointed connection between said strip ends. As indicated in the drawings, this throat piece d which is of a sub stantially yoke shape is bent downward or made to incline from both ends toward its central portion. The collar thus formed is adapted to be covered by a casing of leather or other suitable material, such as isindicated at f. At the shoulder portions of the collar the casing f is as indicated in Fig. 4, made to inclo'se a suitable padding or filling material 9.

The breast collar thus formed is adapted to be supported in the usual manner against the breast of the horse as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Owing to the dip or incline of the rounded connecting end piece d it will be seen that the bearing points of the latter are below that portion of the throat where danger of interference with the proper breathing of the horse might take place from compression, said breast collar thus in no way interfering with the proper respiration of the animal. Owing to the rise or incline of the breast collar strips at the points 0, it will readily be seen that the collar will be elevated above the 10* comotive muscles or parts of the forelegs, thus preventing any interference with the proper locomotion of the animal and admitting of the free use and movement of such parts.

. Owing to the fact that the throat piece cl is hinged or jointly connected to the side strips (1, it is evident that our improved breast collar will be adapted not only to fit horses having shoulders of varying widths, but to bring the draft or strain on the shoulders without binding or otherwise interfering with the 10- comotive parts of the fore legs, thus obviating the necessity of employing many different sizes in the construction of ourimproved collar.

It is evident that our improved collar may be so constructed that but one hinge is employed instead of two as shown and this hinge may be placed at any desirable point to produce a hinged connection between the sections.

Although the throat piece 01 is shown and described as preferably round in cross section, said piece may be flat or otherwise constructed if desired.

From the construction and arrangement of parts which we have hereinshown anddescribed, it will be seen. that areliable.andieffective form of breast collar is provided by means of which the injurious choking or binding of the horse is entirely obviated.

We are aware that metallic breast collars have been used heretofore and are aware of the construction shown in United States Patent No. 487,604, under date of December 6, 1892, but our invention differs from these in details of construction set forth in the following claim.

Having now fully described ourinvention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters 1 5 Patent, is

In a breast collar for harness, two metallic.

strips. eachhaving its forward end portion curved inwardly and thence forwardly to form the shoulder bulges, and its rear portion extending slightly downward from the shoulder bulge, combined with a throat piece, of substantially yoke form, havinga hinged connection to-the forward ends ofsaid metallic strips, the central portion of the throat piece being inclined" downwardly from both ends, 

